The mother of young murder victim Jennifer Cardy has questioned whether Robert Black understood the destruction his actions have caused.

Minutes after the 64-year-old was sentenced for killing the schoolgirl in 1981, her mother said he had not yet learned of the impact of his terrible crimes.

Pat Cardy and her husband Andy said their faith in God had sustained them through the horror of losing their child.

Mrs Cardy, when asked to respond to the killer's continuing denials of guilt for Jennifer's murder, said: "That is a question without answers."

"I do not understand that. I feel this man has a lot to learn about self-destruction in his own life, not to mention the destruction that he has caused to many other families and to their little children. He has a lot to learn."

Mrs Cardy said that her family had never suffered from what she described as "cancerous bitterness", that she said would have robbed them of everything.

Mr Cardy said he had spent some minutes after the sentence hearing considering the painful journey forced upon his family.

"But while I was in there thinking of that, I just thought that our God has perfect timing," he said. "And nothing works against God's timing."

He said he hoped the family's horrific experience across 30 years would lead others watching the case to find God.

Asked how he felt, Mr Cardy said: "I would sum it up, that we probably will try to get back to normal life," he said. "And a satisfaction knowing that Robert Black will never again walk the streets of Great Britain, never again be able to torture little girls, because that is what he did, he tortured little girls."